I would like to make individual mini layer cakes but do not want to purchase a bunch of new or special pans.  Is it possible? or has anyone experience with creating a larger 10 or 12” round cake or a sheet cake in layer and then using a cutter to cut out individual 3” or 3.5” cakes?  Of course, I want to cover in buttercream (not fondant).  And, I need the flavor to be or include orange.  Any recommendations on method?  Do I really need a special pan (pans) for this?  Any suggestion for Rose Recipe to use.  (The requestor was motivated by my photo of the crystallized oranges)... and I feel up to the challenge. 

Thank you for any help you can provide.

I did cut outs from a sheet cake several years ago for individual cakes. Worked okay, but I remember it being more time consuming than I thought. You should plan on doing a crumb coat because the cut outs will be more crumbly than the sides of a baked cake.

When you’re doing mini/individual cakes, the big lesson for me was to make sure the cake layers were thinner than I normally make them.  I bake in 2” pans and torte each in half so each layer is about an inch or so tall.  This is a little on the tall side for a mini cake - and I just used a thinner layer of buttercream between the two.  It was more an issue when I was making two and three tiered mini cakes.  You’d want to keep the cake layers at about a half inch tall, and the total height of the tier is shorter as well.  Play with the size of the rounds as well; I usually end up with a bottom round of about 2.5 or 2.75 inches; then a middle of 1.5 and if there is a top tier, the smallest round cutter in the set; and no filling on that.  I think of that top tier as like a thimble!

I have always made them the same way Matthew mentioned - using round cutters to cut from a large sheet of cake.  The only advantage to those special pans is in creating sides that aren’t crumbly.  I do three or four of these projects a season; they are four times as much work as a regular cake and I always feel I’m not charging enough!

So helpful to know that sheet cake cutouts need crumb coating and extra time!  I was contemplating doing that for cakes this weekend, perhaps I’ll just go with upside-down cupcakes, sloped sides don’t seem so bad…

Thank you Matthew and Jeanne, that is very helpful.  I had not thought of torting but that does make sense even if I not making three tiers….tho’ I think I will.  I am with you, Julie, on the time.  I was thinking the little pans would also mean a lot of work unless I have a lot of little pans.  Hopefully, I will find some time to test pretty soon.

well, i’ve made 20+ cakes that are 4” round cut from a sheet pan with a round biscuit cutter. it worked out fine but it took me more than the entire morning to frost them. since the cakes are so light, it is hard to apply even and sufficient pressure. I ultimately piped the frosting on the tops and sides and scraped it off.

if you are into little baked things like me, i’ve heard that people were able to bake cute little cakes from tuna cans.

if you are considering chocolate and orange combo, i think you might have success with cut cakes, lightly frosted and drapped with ganache or Rose’s chocolate lacquer glaze.

Thank you Jeniyo, that is very helpful.  And, tuna cans very ingenious.  The chocolate lacquer glaze is a great idea!

CRenee, have you thought about Rose’s orange glow chiffon cake? That would go beautifully with light whipped choc ganache or glaze or whatever along those lines. Since the orange flavour would be in the cake, you could use a nice vanilla mousseline or similar for the crumb coat bc.

See the Bostini p 351 RHC, which is based on orange glow chiffon cake batter. If you want to try cut outs, that recipe bakes up beautifully in a 1-inch high half sheet pan. Takes about 18 minutes at 325 (same recipe as p156 TCB, halved). Might be worth an experiment to try it in the tuna tins too! The Bostini uses a silicone muffin pan with 4 oz cavities. Another optiion.

Have fun! We’ll look forward to a full report.